Irish MPs eye bringing 'Israel' before ICC, expelling Israeli envoy
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Ireland is taking up its legal arm against the Israeli occupation, seeking to expel "Israel's" ambassador to Ireland as it mulls taking "Tel Aviv" to the ICC for trial.
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Palestinians stand around their relatives martyred in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, in front of the morgue in Deir al-Balah, November 11, 2023 (AP)
Irish lawmakers have prepared a motion that will see them voting on the expulsion of the Israeli occupation's ambassador to the country next week as opposition to the Israeli occupation continues to grow in the West over its massacres in Gaza.
Reports from local media, including the Irish Examiner, suggest that the motion will further call for the imposition of EU-wide economic sanctions on the Israeli occupation and refer it to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate it for war crimes.
Holly Cairns, the leader of the Social Democrats, expressed her concern over what she described as the Israeli occupation's "cruel and disproportionate response" to Operation Al-Aqsa Flood which "has, to date, seen more than 11,000 people killed in Gaza — over 5,000 of them children — and resulted in the collective punishment and mass displacement of millions of innocent civilians."
The motion is expected to call for "the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, on the grounds that the human rights clause in the trade deal has been seriously breached," as well as the suspension of the Israeli occupation's access to the €95 billion Horizon Europe fund for research and innovation.
"Given Israel’s failure to cease the deliberate targeting of civilians, journalists, UN staff, and healthcare workers, the Government must withdraw the diplomatic status of the Israeli Ambassador to Ireland," the Irish MP said.
The Israeli occupation started its onslaught on the Gaza Strip - which has thus far claimed over 11,000 lives, though the latest tally is unknown due to the Israeli-imposed blackout in Gaza that has rendered tallying the number of dead civilians impossible - with a lot of international support, though as time went on, that support continued dwindling and today it only has a few allies by its side.
'Israel' to the ICC
The Irish Examiner hinted at another motion from Ireland's largest party, Sinn Fein, which is expected to call for the referral of "Israel" to the International Criminal Court.
Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald underlined that the situation in Gaza was a "moment of reckoning for world leaders, for the European Union; a test of commitment to human rights, peace, and democracy."
In a speech to the Irish Parliament, the leader of #SinnFein delivered a blow to the Israeli occupation as she called to expel the Israeli ambassador and to refer "Israel" to the ICC.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) November 12, 2023
Sinn Fein is expected to bring the resolution to the Dail next week, seeking the Irish… pic.twitter.com/b481wJORlT
"Where is the protection of international law for every child killed in Gaza, for every Gazan mother holding the cold body of their dead child?," she asked, underlining that the Israeli occupation must not go unpunished and continue committing crimes with impunity, calling for the Israeli occupation to be referred to the International Criminal Court.
"When the European Commission gives carte blanche to Israel to massacre Palestinians, we say, no, never. They do not speak for us," she added. "The world sees Israeli actions for what they are. Barbaric. Hateful. Cowardly. War crimes."
Matt Carthy, the party's foreign affairs spokesperson, referenced Prime Minister Leo Varadkar's acknowledgment that "Israel's" failure to observe humanitarian law "can't be inconsequential."
Carthy urged consequences for "Israel's" actions, including the deliberate targeting of civilians, destruction of civilian infrastructure, mass forced displacement, and denial of essential supplies to the civilian population of Gaza.
"Ireland should also exercise our right as a state party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court to refer the actions in Palestine and Israel to the prosecutor of the court for the purpose of requesting an investigation into any acts of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide that have occurred in Gaza over the past month," he said.
The Israeli occupation is growing more and more unpopular, not just among the masses, but also in political and diplomatic arenas, with protests taking place in the streets as diplomatic relations are severed with the occupation and its supporters being censured and outright punished for their complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity being committed in Gaza.
Even US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, an adamant supporter of the Israeli occupation, said in New Delhi that while the US acknowledges "Israeli efforts" to "reduce civilian casualties" but deems them insufficient,
In an effort to tone down his criticism for "Israel", Blinken said the Israeli efforts to formalize pauses in its military operations and the creation of a second safe corridor for them to use to escape harm are appreciated, adding that they "will save lives and will enable more assistance to get to Palestinians in need,” but still he admitted that “much more needs to be done to protect civilians and to make sure that humanitarian assistance reaches them.”
